The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay and Green Bay Metro recently signed a revised busing agreement that will permit unlimited bus rides for students, faculty and staff.

The new “U-Pass” contract does away with the former agreement, under which a $35,000 annual lump-sum payment was paid to Metro in exchange for unlimited bus rides for students, faculty and staff.

Under the new arrangement, the charge back becomes 25 cents per ride, billed quarterly, which still will allow University ID-holders to ride at no additional charge. The bus system charges based on actual ridership, tracked through scanned student IDs, and is underwritten by student fees and a portion of University parking fees.

U-Pass was originally designed in 2008 as part of an effort to encourage bus ridership among students, faculty and staff, emphasizing the convenience and cost and environmental benefits of taking the bus.